The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-02-04
WHAT'S In A NAME?
Some Wonderful Specimens Prov
ing It's Significance.
Surnames Descriptive of Mental Character
Listics, occupations, Personal Appear
ancv, Erc.-Thv Advantage of
Having IL Good Name.

If instead of name every child on
entering the world were assigned a
number the plan would have many
features to recommend it, Dirrcto-
rles would be simplificd; there would
be no chance of confusion with twenty
four Mrs. Jonescs in one place. and to
address letter to you would have
nothing to do but write on the envelope,
say: "No. 9.243.76 Esq" But with
these manifest advantages there would
be consi .arable loss. When Juliet said:
"What,S in Il namc?n she talked. as
lovers ot,en do, at random. Her speech
TO Romeo Montague is beautiful, but il
IS not loTic. She was, indeed, us any
one with 4 critical eye can see, in the
strangeSt confusion about the difference
between Christian and Il surname.
That Romeo did not correct her on the
instant can oniv be accounted for by
the fact that he himself was not in a
tit state OF mind for PLAYING the in
structor. There is a great deal in sur
names. What ~limr$rs of old life thel
sometimes give us; they alc little bit>
OF history; revelations of human in
terest; scraps of poetry and humor:
notes OF affection. l',iirulc. sarcasm and
lmperHnpnce; often stories condensed
into a lie word. A large number Of
surnames consist of the fathers nam,
with the addition of "son. or an equiv
alent for son, like Mac or Fitz. ''Namre
OF this sort Often iuctuatr from genera
ton to generation. Alan Waterson, 70!
example, had Il son Walter who calle'
himself Walter Allanson.' Other name;
are purely local in origin, names sucl
as Dale, Brook, Marsh, Land, WOOD
and Heath. Among local names We
may also include Kent, Cornish, Wilt
shire, Devonish. Ireland, Welsh and
such like. Granville may be classed
among local names. 1t is told thar
Lord Lyttleton once disputed with the
head of the Granviles, which was OF
the older family, asserting his own to
be of the more ancient, inaSmuch as
the little, town must necessarily have
existed before the grande vile. Offices,
occupation and condition gave rise to
other names. Thus we have Smith,
Cook, Shepherd. Plowman, Knight, Cor
ner (C"roner), Archer, Singer Justice,
Provost. Dresser, Chapman, Borbour
and host OF more. The sulnames OF
occupation form a wonderful guide to
the industries of our forefathers. Those
who kept shops or inns got surnames
from their signs, a practice which
accounts for many surnames of
fanciful order. John at the Bell
became John Bell; Thomas at the
Rose became Thomas Rose; Oliver
ut the Thorne became Oliver Thorne;
and Nicholas at the Sparrow became
Nicholas Sparrow. A large class of
names is devoted to the description of
personal appearance, manner and
character. We find outward peculiar
tiles indicated in an immense number,
such as Longman, Shortman, Small
man, Big, Little, Thick, Thin, Shorter,
Stronger, Black, White and Brown
Mental characteristics have given rise
to such surnames as Good, Patient,
Wise, Gay, Sage, Blythe, Merry, Make
peace, Grave, Sweet, Proud, Meek,
Humble and jolly. People who re-
minded their neighbors of birds, beasts,
fish and insects have transmitted to
their descendants many surnames, of
which examples may be seen in our col
lection. Not few names illustrating
personal appearance and character
have evidently been originally nick
names; Cruikshank. Glutton, Penny
father Cor miser), for example. Oc-
casionally, as in the case of Swindler,